Too Flexible?

[Unkotare]

Pensioner sues NHK for using too many foreign loanwords ? Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion


Japanese, like English, is a language that is quite flexible and adaptable. Both languages use many loan words and have throughout history. Apparently, this irks some people.

What say you?

 

[Noomi]

At first I thought the old guy was having a sook and should suck it up and deal with it. But then I thought - what if the news programs on TV here were being taken over with Japanese words that I didn't understand? Having the same number of Japanese words on TV here as this man claims are on TV over there would make me pretty shitty.

I just don't know if suing is the right answer - the fact that others are able to watch these programs and haven't launched the same legal action tells me that this is probably a non issue.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Katakana (which is used for loanwords) spoils the beauty of the written Japanese language. It's rather angular and harsh in comparison to Kanji and Hiragana.

I can see why some Japanese wouldn't wanna' have to listen to it either.

SIDEBAR: "Tobacco" is a loanword yet it's only written in Hiragana. Go figure.

 

[Unkotare]

Sometimes it has to do with how recently the loan word entered the language.

 

[Unkotare]

The French seem to have a real phobia when it comes to 'corruption' of their language via loan words and such.